Gazania plant named ‘California Gold’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gazania  named ‘California Gold’, characterized by its compact, low-growing and bushy growth habit; upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form; freely-flowering habit; large fully inflorescences with yellow and orange bi-colored ray florets; and relatively less susceptible to fungal pathogens common to  Gazanias .

Botanical classification/cultivar designation: Gazania rigens cultivar California Gold.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gazania plant, botanically known as Gazania rigens and referred to by the name ‘California Gold’.

The new Gazania is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Ontario, Calif. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Gazania cultivars with a compact growth habit and numerous inflorescences with attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Gazania originated from a cross-pollination of two unknown selections of Gazania rigens, not patented. The new Gazania was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Ontario, Calif. in March, 2000.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gazania by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Ontario, Calif. since April, 2000, has shown that the unique features of this new Gazania are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The new Gazania has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following characteristics have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be basic characteristics of ‘California Gold’ and distinguish the new Gazania as a new and distinct cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, low-growing and bushy growth habit.     -   2. Upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form.     -   3. Freely-flowering habit.     -   4. Large fully inflorescences with yellow and orange bi-colored         ray florets.     -   5. Relatively less susceptible to fungal pathogens common to         Gazanias.

Plants of the new Gazania can be compared to plants of the cultivar Mitsuwa Yellow, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted by the Inventor in Ontario, Calif., plants of the new Gazania differed from plants of the cultivar Mitsuwa Yellow in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gazania had slightly narrower leaves than         plants of the cultivar Mitsuwa Yellow.     -   2. Plants of the new Gazania were more freely flowering than         plants of the cultivar Mitsuwa Yellow.     -   3. Plants of the new Gazania had larger inflorescences with more         ray florets per inflorescence than plants of the cultivar         Mitsuwa Yellow.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Gazania were yellow and         orange bi-colored whereas ray florets of plants of the cultivar         Mitsuwa Yellow were yellow in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new cultivar, showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Gazania.

The photograph at the top of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical plant of ‘California Gold’ grown in a container.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a close-up view of typical inflorescences and leaves of ‘California Gold’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Ojai, Calif. during the summer and autumn in an outdoor nursery with day temperatures ranging from 24 to 38° C. and night temperatures ranging from 10 to 18° C. Rooted liners of the new Gazania were planted in 15.25-cm containers with three plants per container and had been growing for about three months when the photographs and description were taken. Color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gazania rigens cultivar California Gold. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female or seed parent.—Unknown selection of Gazania rigens,             not patented.         -   Male or pollen parent.—Unknown selection of Gazania rigens,             not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—By cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—Summer: About 10 days at 27 to             32° C. Winter: About two weeks at 18 to 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely-branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   General appearance.—Compact, low-growing and bushy growth             habit; outwardly spreading and rounded plant form with dense             foliage and inflorescences held above and beyond the             foliage. Moderately vigorous growth habit. Freely branching,             about four to five lateral branches per plant.         -   Plant height, to top of inflorescences.—About 17 cm.         -   Plant height, to top of foliar plane.—About 11 cm.         -   Plant width, single plant.—About 12 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 12 cm. Width:             About 4 mm. Internode length: About 5 mm. Aspect: Upright to             outward. Strong: Strong. Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color:             144B.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, single;             sessile. Leaves closely appressed and covering the lateral             branches. Length: About 11 cm. Width: About 7 mm. Shape:             Linear to narrowly oblanceolate. Margin: Entire. Apex:             Acute. Base: Clasping. Texture, upper surface: Smooth,             glabrous. Texture, lower surface: Pubescent. Venation             pattern: Pinnate. Color: Developing leaves, upper surface:             147A. Developing leaves, lower surface: 194D. Fully expanded             leaves, upper surface: 147A. Fully expanded leaves, lower             surface: 198D. Venation, upper and lower surfaces: 147D. -   Flowering description:     -   -   Inflorescence form.—Daisy-type composite inflorescence form.             Inflorescences solitary. Ray and disc florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences circular in             shape. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last on the plant             for about four to five days. Inflorescences persistent.         -   Natural flowering season.—Plants flower in the landscape             from the spring until the fall; flowering continuous.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—One open terminal inflorescence             and about two inflorescence buds per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence aspect.—Cupped.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 5 cm.         -   Inflorescence depth (height).—About 2.7 cm.         -   Disc diameter.—About 1.5 cm.         -   Receptacle diameter.—About 9 mm.         -   Receptacle height.—About 1.3 cm.         -   Inflorescence buds.—Length: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About             8 mm. Shape: Ovoid. Color: 10A.         -   Ray florets.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 16 in a             single whorl. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 7 mm.             Shape: Ligulate. Apex: Slightly emarginate. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth,             satiny. Color: When opening, upper surface: 12A. When             opening, lower surface: 10A. Fully opened, upper surface:             Towards the apex, 12A; towards the base, 17A. Fully opened,             lower surface: 10A.         -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed in the center of the             receptacle. Quantity per inflorescence: About 96. Shape:             Tubular with five lobes. Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter,             apex: About 1 mm. Diameter, base: Less than 1 mm. Color,             immature: 3A. Color, mature: Towards the apex: 12A.             Mid-section: 12C. Towards the base: 155D.         -   Involucral bracts.—Quantity per inflorescence: About 18 in             two whorls. Shape: Needle-like; fused at base into a             cup-like structure. Apex: Acute. Length: About 1.2 cm.             Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower surfaces:             Pubescent. Color, upper surface: 144A. Color, lower surface:             144B.         -   Peduncle.—Length: About 10.5 cm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Aspect: Erect. Strength: Strong. Texture: Very slightly             pubescent. Color: 144C.         -   Androecium.—Present only on disc florets. Anther shape:             Elongated, oval. Anther length: About 1.5 mm. Anther color:             14A. Amount of pollen: Scarce. Pollen color: 14A.         -   Gynoecium.—Present only on disc florets. Quantity per             floret: One. Style length: About 7 mm. Style color: 14C.             Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma color: 14A. Ovary color:             157B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Gazania have been     observed to be relatively less susceptible to fungal pathogens     common to Gazanias. Plants of the new Gazania have not been observed     to be resistant to other pathogens or pests common to Gazania. -   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Gazania have been observed     to tolerate temperatures from −4 to 40° C. 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Gazania named ‘California Gold’, as illustrated and described. 